The Chrysanthemum Theme Garden, also known as Bagh-e-Gul-e-Dawood, located within the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Botanical Garden complex in Srinagar, has emerged as a major autumn attraction in the Valley, recording a footfall of nearly 53,000 visitors in the last 14 days.
Inaugurated by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on October 23, the picturesque garden has attracted foreign tourists, domestic visitors and locals, helping address the off-season gap in tourism and adding to Kashmir’s autumn attractions.
Details received from the Department of Floriculture, Parks and Gardens revealed that around 53,000 people had visited the garden till November 5, including nearly 400 foreign tourists, indicating a steady increase in international tourist footfall.
According to officials, around 60 per cent of the visitors were domestic tourists from different parts of the country, while a considerable number of locals had also visited the garden.
Officials said the garden would continue to remain open throughout November, subject to favourable weather conditions.
They said its functioning was entirely dependent on temperatures, adding that the garden would be closed if the mercury dropped below suitable levels. However, if temperatures remained above sub-zero levels, visitors would be allowed throughout the month.
Developed at a cost of Rs 1.869 crore, the Chrysanthemum Theme Garden spans over 100 kanals and is envisioned as a major autumn attraction in Kashmir.
With vibrant blooms in shades of yellow, red, pink and purple, the garden has added colour to the Valley’s tourism calendar during the autumn months.
The Floriculture Department has planted 3.5 lakh chrysanthemum plants representing 72 varieties this year. The floral display features more than 12 million flowers in different colours, shades, shapes and sizes.
Director Floriculture Kashmir Mathura Masoom had earlier told Rising Kashmir that the department had made extensive efforts to enhance the garden compared to last year, when around one lakh chrysanthemum plants were planted during its inaugural show.
“This time, we have tried to make the garden even better by adding more varieties and bringing additional patches of land into the garden,” Masoom had said.
